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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · clip · sharp · race · root · drill · lie · vault

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — for paper
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. race — humankind
  6. clip — a video
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — to come from
  10. race — the arms race
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — a safe
  15. root — of a plant
  16. clip — to cut
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — to recline
  19. drill — army training
  20. race — a contest
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com